Assessment of mental health problems among adolescents in Sri Lanka: Findings from the cross‐sectional Global School‐based Health Survey

Abstract

Background and Aims Mental health condition among adolescents is a leading cause of health‐related disability in Sri Lanka. The study aims to estimate the prevalence and evaluate the associated risk factors in three major mental health domains—loneliness, anxiety and suicidal ideation—among Sri Lankan adolescents. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data of 3262 adolescents from the Global School‐based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted by the WHO in 2016. We modeled the binary outcome variables using multivariable logistic regression models with exposures representing demography, food habits, personal hygiene, behavior, substance abuse, parental and social engagement of the respondents. Results We estimated the prevalence of loneliness, anxiety and suicidal ideation as 30.8% (95% CI: 29.3, 32.5), 20.2% (95% CI: 18.8, 21.6) and 3.7% (95% CI: 3.1, 4.4), respectively, and the overall prevalence as 40.3% (95% CI: 38.6, 42.0). Mental health problems were more prevalent among females than males. Engagement with parents and close friends, adequate nutritional intake and physically active lifestyles reduced the risk of common mental health problems. Exposure variables like food insecurity, truancy, second‐hand smoking, physical fight, and being bullied increased adolescents’ risk of reported psychological problems. Conclusions We conclude that the prevalence of mental health problems in the Sri Lankan adolescent population was higher than the global average. Results suggest that future policy decisions to mitigate mental health problems among Sri Lankan adolescents should incorporate an integrated approach involving the individual, family and community to promote positive home and school environments combined with an active and healthy lifestyle.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Adolescent Obesity among Rural School Adolescents in Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…For assessing loneliness and anxiety among adolescents, the questions were “During the past 12 months, how often did you feel lonely?” and “During the past 12 months, how often were you so worried about something that you could not sleep at night?,” respectively. The response options for both of these questions were “never,” “rarely,” “sometimes,” “most of the times,” and “always.” Adolescents responding “sometimes,” “most of the times,” and “always” for each question were considered as “feeling lonely” and having “anxiety” [ 24 ]. We assessed information about suicidal ideation among the adolescents through the question “During the past 12 months, did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide?” The response options were “yes” and “no,” and we categorized the adolescents based on these two responses.…”

“…Te response options for both of these questions were "never," "rarely," "sometimes," "most of the times," and "always." Adolescents responding "sometimes," "most of the times," and "always" for each question were considered as "feeling lonely" and having "anxiety" [24]. We assessed information about suicidal ideation among the adolescents through the question "During the past 12 months, did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide?"…”

The evolution of mental health facilities and treatment in Sri Lanka

“…A special attention should be paid to the problem of children's care in Sri Lanka. A range of latest studies were dedicated to problems of mental health among kids and adolescents (Perera et al, 2022;Shoib et al, 2022;Rasalingam et al, 2022;Rohanachandra, 2023;Shah et al, 2023).…”

Is the adverse childhood experience of racial discrimination referring to depressive symptoms in school children leading to burdened motherhood with minority or mixed race need in-depth studies?

“…However, in a situation like this, family support is essential to make sense of traumatic experiences [16]. There is a lot more to gather from published online information on the impact of ACE due to racial discrimination on mental health among diverse young adult college students internationally [16] sub continentally, and nationally [17].…”

“…Assessment of mental health problems among adolescents in Sri Lanka; Findings from the crosssectional Global School-based Health Survey suggests that future policy decisions to mitigate mental health problems among Sri Lankan adolescents should incorporate an integrated approach involving the individual, family and community to promote positive home and school environments combined with an active and healthy lifestyle [17]. In light of these recommendations, this communication emphasizes the need for in-depth studies to confirm the hypothesis that adverse childhood experiences of racial discrimination refer to depressive symptoms in school children leading to burdened motherhood with minority and mixed race off springs.…”